Rate My Professor Sami Ullah

Professor Sami Ullah is Professor of Biogeochemistry in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He holds a BSc in Biological Sciences (1993) and an MSc in Environmental Sciences (1996, Gold Medallist) from the University of Peshawar, Pakistan; an MS in Wetland Sciences (2001, Fulbright Scholar) and a PhD in Biogeochemistry (2005) from Louisiana State University, USA; and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the Higher Education Academy, UK (2015). His career includes positions as Professor of Biogeochemistry (2021-present), Reader (2020-2021), and Senior Lecturer (2017-2019) at the University of Birmingham; Lecturer in Environmental Science at Keele University (2011-2016); Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University (2009-2011); Postdoctoral Fellow at McGill University (2006-2008); and Research Associate at Rutgers University (2005-2006). Professor Ullah's research focuses on the biogeochemistry of nitrogen and its interactions with carbon and phosphorus cycling in soils under global change, across forest, peatland, grassland, and agricultural systems. He investigates microbial processes such as denitrification, mineralization, biological nitrogen fixation, and greenhouse gas fluxes (N2O, CH4, CO2) using stable isotopes and high-resolution sensors. His work addresses land-use impacts, soil fertility, food security, water quality, and restoration ecology.

Professor Ullah has secured multimillion-pound funding as principal investigator or co-investigator on projects including NERC grants (e.g., FACE Underground, £795,000; QUINTUS, £3.7 million), UKRI-NSF DiRTS (£1.5 million), Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Fellowship (MarshFlux, €276,490), and BBSRC Sustainable Agriculture grant (£944,587). Key publications include 'Closing the denitrification gap: applying the 15N gas flux method' (Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2026), 'Nanocomposite Reduces Volatile and Aqueous Reactive Nitrogen Losses' (Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, 2026), 'The Microbiome of an Invasive Antarctic Insect' (Microbial Ecology, 2026), and 'Building synergies among ground-based forest inventorying' (Plants People Planet, 2025). He has served on the DEFRA Nutrient Management Expert Group, supervised international fellowships, and delivered an inaugural lecture at the University of Birmingham. His contributions advance understanding of ecosystem responses to elevated CO2, nitrogen deposition, and agricultural practices, supporting sustainable land management and climate mitigation.